Insulator Damage Definitions (continued)
Insulator Damage Locations
This section is essentially a glossary of terms describing the common parts of a glass insulator. Consistency in the use of terminolgy aids in better understanding between parties as to where particular damage is located.
- Base
- The bottom of the insulator; generally what the insulator would rest on if placed on a flat surface. The base may have drip points on it.
- Crown
- The section of the insulator from the upper wire ridge to the dome.
- Dome
- The top part of the insulator.
- Drip Point
- Small projections on the base of the insulator believed to help water "drip" off the insulator. There are many size and shape variations, but most can be described as "round" (hemispherical beads about the size of a BB), or "sharp" (conical shaped about 1/8" in diameter).
- Ears
- Projections on the top of insulator on either side of the saddle groove that help support the line wire or cable.
- Fins
- The horizontal projections on some power insulators and transpositions designed to either increase the leakage distance from the line wire or to increase the separation between two wires that were independent but attached to the same insulator.
- Inner Skirt
- A skirt inside the insulator, often called a petticoat.
- Petticoat
- Used to describe all skirts of an insulator, as in double petticoat.
- Pin Hole
- A vertical hole running through the middle of the insulator. It may or may not extend all the way through the insulator and may or may not be threaded. Designed to receive a pin or bracket.
- Saddle Groove
- A top wire groove used to hold the line wire.
- Skirt
- The outer part of the insulator, from the wire ridge to the base. Also used to refer to all skirts, including the inner skirts.
- Umbrella
- A wide flaring skirt that extends outward from the body of the insulator, rather than downward to the base. Insulators with umbrellas actually rest on the bottom edge of the inner skirt. Umbrellas are found on many power insulators and some transposition types.
- Wire Groove
- The square or concave section between the wire ridges on the side of the insulator that holds the line wire.
- Wire Groove Ridge
- A bead of glass around the insulator above and below the wire groove designed to help support the line wire and the tie wire. May be further designated as UPPER or LOWER wire groove ridge.
Copyright © 2007 - Doug Netzke and Micro Solutions of Sudbury